Scotia-Glenville Community Safety Forum

* Note: Date Change due to icy weather

Join your friends and neighbors, February 4th, 2013 at the Scotia-Glenville Middle School cafeteria at 6 PM.

A forum will be held to discuss safety procedures and possible changes at the six Scotia-Glenville schools. Let the board know how they can make your schools and children as safe as possible without losing the welcoming atmosphere we currently enjoy.

Safety audits have already been conducted at each school building. The results of those audits will be presented and will be incorporated into future safety plans along with valuable feedback provided by the community. This is your opportunity to share your experiences and offer suggestions so they may be incorporated in future safety plans.

When: 6 PM., Monday, February 4th, 2013
Where: Scotia-Glenville Middle School cafeteria

The regular Board of Education meeting previously scheduled for Sacandaga School will follow at the Middle School, 10 Prestige Parkway

Scotia-Glenville Proactive in Student Confidence and Safety

Like many schools, Scotia-Glenville Central School District has done what they can to implement a proactive, common sense approach to recent events. On Sunday afternoon, administrators met on their own time to review safety measures making sure staff, parents and students all experienced a normal level of comfort in our schools.

"The tragedy in Connecticut is heart wrenching and has all of us thinking about school safety," said Superintendent Susan Swartz. "Keeping our children safe is my first priority....and the priority of our staff and all employees."

For those families without access to the district website the following letter has been sent home with all students.

On Windows use Ctrl  key and Plus sign to enlarge or Ctrl and Minus to shrink.

 

Parent resources:

Talking to Kids about School Violence,   NYU Child Study Center

Talking with Kids about News,   PBS Parents

Talking to Children about Violence   (PDF), National Association of School Psychologists

New York State School Safety Guide   (PDF)

Resources for Supporting Students and Staff Following the Newtown , CT Tragedy, State Education Department

Holiday on the Avenue – Gingerbread Contest

Mohawk Avenue will be especially festive again this year on Sunday, December 2nd from 1:00 to 4:00 PM (Note new times)
Come down and stroll the Avenue with your family, friends and neighbors.

Thanks to sponsorship by Frank and Sons Body Works check out the annual Gingerbread Contest and see Santa and Mrs. Claus in the former Roy Matthews Appliance Store.

Just across the street you can shake, rattle and roll with “Little Elvis” at the new Scotia Diner from 2:45 to 3:30 pm.  (Updated Time)

The Scotia-Glenville Children's Museum will be hosting a free craft activity at the Gateway Driving Center.

It’s only a week away so start thinking of your design ideas and stop by the Holiday on the Avenue page on Facebook for details.  See below for more activities.

 

First Baptist Church will be hosting a craft activity in their downstairs room.

Scotia Rotary will be sponsoring the fire pits and s'more making that you will see along Mohawk Ave.

The Puppet People will be preforming their show The Christmas Carol at 2:00 in the Scotia Motors building.

Glenville Rotary will be sponsoring the Castle Maze which will be located in the First National Bank of Scotia parking lot


Best Chili in the Village?
Is it Gabriel's supermarket, San Souci Restaurant, O'Leary's Pub and Grill, The Scotia Diner INC., Turf Tavern?  Come and help us find out at our Chili Tasting Contest.
Winner will be announced at 4:00

Western Gateway Bridge Construction–Single Lane Traffic

From the Village of Scotia:

The Western Gateway Bridge will be having the entire deck replaced this year. Work is scheduled to begin October 23, and the entire project is expected to take more than 12 months to complete. During construction traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction. This should result in a significant slowing of traffic across the bridge and it is recommended that alternate routes be used when possible.

The Village was informed of the construction schedule only today, so further information will be forthcoming as we receive it. Please do not call Village Hall, this is a New York State DOT project and we do not have any information other than what is in this email.

Mayor Kris Kastberg
Village of Scotia

To register to receive E-mails from the Village of Scotia Click Here

More information will become available from New York State on their website
https://www.dot.ny.gov/news/traveler-advisories/2012 and 511NY.  The 511NY is a service that provides real-time traffic alert via E-mail, Facebook( https://www.facebook.com/511NY ) and Twitter ( @511nyAlbany )

FIREBALL RUN® – Have Fun, Help Find Missing Children

Join your friends, neighbors and fantastic visitors as the Fireball Run® comes to Schenectady and Scotia. It’s called “The Most Epic Adventurally in America”.  The fun starts Wednesday, September 26,2012.  Come to Glen Sanders Mansion and meet the participants.  Wish them well as the rally begins Thursday morning at 10 AM.


 

“FIREBALL RUN® is the most riveting and original live point-of-interest & destination based expedition in America.

Headquartered inside Studio 22A at Universal Studios FIREBALL RUN is adventure meets motoring; a live streaming and motion picture production series starring YOU as part of an ensemble cast of dynamic characters.

The FIREBALL RUN is NOT a road race and is unlike ANY rally competition in the world. Using more brain power than horsepower driving teams must solve clues & accomplish missions in order navigate the route and score.”

FIREBALL RUN       Northern Exposure

Schenectady County 2nd Annual Pedal – Paddle - Run

BE PREPARED – BE PATIENT or PARTICIPATE!

On Saturday, September 22, 2012, Schenectady County will host the second annual Pedal-Paddle-Run team relay race.   The event is open to the public so even if you’re not an athlete you can come cheer on your favorite team.  Residents should be aware of street closures between 8:30 AM and approximately 10:30 AM.  Crossing streets will be at the discretion of police officers and/or volunteer flaggers. Please be patient for everyone’s safety.
Race starting lines and event headquarters will be located in Collins Park.

• 9:30 am – Kids’ Fitness Fun in Collins Park, near the pavilions (ages 13 and under); Bouncy-bounce, Face Painting, Chair Massages, Sports & Fitness Expo
• 11:45 am – Pedal Paddle Run Awards and Recognition

 

Pedal-Paddle-Run       Bike Course  (approx 7.5 miles)

Pedal-Paddle-Run          Running Course  5K

The Scotia Police Department and the Glenville Police Department have issued the following streets closures/altered traffic patterns for the day:

• Vley Road in both the Village of Scotia and the Town of Glenville will be CLOSED TO VEHICULAR TRAFFIC between 8:30am and approximately 10:30am. Traffic will be allowed to cross Vley Road at the discretion of police and/or flaggers.
• Cuthbert Street in the Village of Scotia will be CLOSED TO VEHICULAR TRAFFIC between 8:30am and approximately 10:30am. Traffic will be diverted to Fifth Street, where vehicles will be allowed to cross Vley Road at the discretion police and/or flaggers.
• Washington Avenue between Sunnyside Road and Schonowee Avenue will be open to LOCAL TRAFFIC ONLY between 8:30am and approximately 10:30am.
• Schonowee Avenue (between Mohawk Avenue and Kiwanis Way) will be closed to traffic beginning at approximately 8:30am, and will re-open after the running portion of the race is over, at approximately 11:00am.
• Motorists should be aware that bicyclists and runners will be using town and village streets; extreme caution should be exercised while the race is ongoing.

Kayak/Canoeing will be two laps around Collins Lake (approx. 1.6 miles)


Additional information about the race course, fees and rules of the race can be found on the Schenectady County website (www.SchenectadyCounty.com/ppr ), or you may call Wendy Voelker at (518) 388-4603. For more information about the street closures, please contact either the Scotia Police Department (518-374-3110) or the Glenville Police Department (518-384-3444)

Hurricane Irene keeps Collins Lake Beach Closed

The Village of Scotia officially announced the beach at Collins Lake will be closed for the season.  Chemicals treatments have failed so far to clear up this popular regional swimming hole. 

The official statement from the Village says:
”The beach at Collins Park will be closed for this swimming season. The Department of Health requires four feet of visibility in the water in order to allow public swimming. The flooding caused by hurricane Irene has left a significant amount of suspended clay in the lake, reducing visibility. The Village treated the lake with alum this spring to clear the water, but any wind, wave, or swimming action stirs up the clay from the bottom to reduce visibility to unacceptable levels. The answer seems to be to let the lake naturally recharge through the springs that feed it and wash the sediment out through the outlet. It is unclear how long this process will take, but until we can meet DOH standards, there will be no public swimming in Collins Lake.”

Luckily, the clay silt is not a contamination so boating is still welcome and no restrictions have been announced to fishing which is a year round activity. It’s simply a visibility issue which impacts the safety of young swimmers.  In fact, the Scotia branch of Schenectady County Library has fishing poles & tackle equipment kids can sign out just like they would a book!

As you can see from the photo below flooding due to Hurricane Irene caused the nearby Mohawk River to overflow into Collins Lake. The springs which are very active on the north side of the lake held the Mohawk off briefly but eventually the entire lake and Collins Park become part of the river.

Flooding in progress in Collins Lake as seen from Pytlovany Point

 
Collins Park in August 2011 after Hurricane Irene flooding

In addition to the river particles settling in  the lake bed, damage was done to the two pumps used by the lake aeration system. The lake bubbler system, installed in 2006, has been instrumental in keeping the water healthy for swimmers and especially for the fish.

Relay for Life Presents: RAVE 4 LIFE 2012

You’re never to young to stay up past your bedtime at least one or two nights a year. Join your friends and neighbors at Scotia-Glenville Senior High as they “Fight Back Against Cancer" with RAVE 4 LIFE 2012.

This pre-event, event is just $15 for Adults( 19 & over) at the door on June 15th, Midnight to 3 AM at Scotia-Glenville High School.  Under 19 may participate by using their energy to raise $125 and submitting an ACS Youth Participation Agreement. For registered Relay participants it’s only $5 and free to qualified participants under 19.

Email Cookju518@gmail.com for more information.

After you get some healthy sleep come on back and join survivors, those currently fighting and those there in our memory as we plan for a future where cancer is just something mentioned in our history books.
Click here for more Relay For Life event information.

Meet me at the Fishin’ Hole

Winter, Summer all through the year folks rave about the fishing in our own Collins Lake.  Don’t call it a pond because you’ll find swimming, boating, wild life and obviously some great fishing.  Just ask Matt Grimes as he shows off his recent 30 inch Carp that weighed in 13.5 lbs.

Matt said this certainly isn’t his biggest catch but like his past experiences, “they put up a great fight!!!”.

As someone who grew up swimming at the Collins Park beach I thought perhaps this giant had come from the Mohawk River during last years flood caused by Hurricane Irene. Matt says, the fish is native to the Lake and he’s caught a bunch over the years.
He says it’s a bottom feeder so I think all the kids learning to swim at the beach can rest easy.

In this photo you can actually see the Mohawk River taking over the north side of Collins Lake where you’ll find the majority of springs that feed the lake.

Salvation Army Spud Night

One of the local events I always recommend is coming up on Thursday, May 17, at the River Stone Manor, 1437 Amsterdam Rd.

You might not think a meal centered around a giant baked potato makes sense but if you attend the Salvation’s Army Annual Spud Night I guarantee you’ll have a great meal. You won’t regret the $10 cost for this unique dinner especially since any profits go towards the Army’s Youth Program.

Thursday, May 17th, 2012
4 PM to 7 PM

River Stone Manor
1437 Amsterdam Rd.
Glenville, NY 12302

$10 per person
Over 20 Delicious Fixings & Toppings
Music & Fun

Bring your friends, family and share this link with everyone you know in the capital region.  They’ll thank you for the experience and you’ll be helping a great cause.

Scotia Rotary - Brooks Chicken and Rib BBQ

Eat In or Take Out 
It’s time again for the annual Scotia Rotary BBQ at the Glenville Senior Center.

Wednesday, April 4th

4 PM to 7 PM

Glenville Senior Center
32 Worden Road - Glenville

$10.00 for complete Chicken Dinner
$13.00 for complete Rib Dinner

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR !

Scotia-Glenville School Community Budget Forums

School district’s across New York State have been challenged to continue their high quality education while having their hands tied by NYS mandates and a new levy restricting increases to local tax payers.  For Scotia-Glenville Central Schools the tax levy calculation comes out to 2.93% maximum. To raise taxes beyond this number would require a super majority of 60% Yay votes on May 15th.

School Board Meeting  May19, 2012

Interest by the community has been strong with many suggesting they would gladly pay higher tax rates than lose any of the excellent services currently offered. Many residents, parents and teacher used the opportunity to address the school board with their ideas and requests to try going after a higher rate requiring the 60% vote.

During the last three Monday school board meetings District Supervisor Susan Swartz  outlined the cuts required for Scotia-Glenville. If you weren’t able to make these meetings there’s still time to get the facts straight.

Scotia-Glenville will host two Community Budget Forums to discuss the 2012-13 school budget. Come and hear explanations of proposed reductions and the issues surrounding the state of education in New York today.

Forums will be held at the Middle School cafeteria on
Wednesday,  March 21,   7 PM to 9 PM
Saturday,  March 24,  10 AM to 12 Noon

http://www.scotiaglenvilleschools.org/

Choralaires Sign-A-Long

Special Treat.  Get the spirit!

The Scotia-Glenville Choralaires will host a free Sing-A-Long at  7 p.m. on Friday, December 9, at the SGHS auditorium.   Trust me, you don't want to miss this performance.  These kids are fantastic.

Scotia Rotary Club Pancake Festival

        The Scotia Rotary Club will hold is annual Pancake Festival on Saturday, November 5 at the Glenville Senior Citizens Center on Worden Road in Glenville. The doors open at 7:00 a.m. and food will be served until 1:00 pm.

The cost for the “all you can eat” meal is $6.00 for adults and $4.00 for children. Kids under 2 years old are free. The meal includes pancakes, French toast, sausage, applesauce and assorted beverages.

Tickets will be available at the door. All proceeds will be used in the Scotia-Glenville community in the form of community service projects performed by the Scotia Rotary Club. For more information, visit www.scotiarotary.org